PhD candidate Didar Sadik from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University is teaching Kazakh at Oxford University as part of the first pilot program aimed at systematically introducing the Kazakh language into the curricula of leading global universities. The initiative is implemented under an agreement between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan and Oxford University.
Previously, the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford offered Turkish, Uzbek, and Azerbaijani. Kazakh has now been officially added, establishing its presence in the global academic environment at an institutional level.
Didar Sadyk was born in the village of Karashoky, in the Kerbulak District of the Almaty Region. He graduated from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University with a degree in Philology, obtained a master's degree in Linguistics, and is currently pursuing a PhD. His dissertation research is devoted to improving methods of teaching the Kazakh language to English-speaking audiences. His professional specialization and methodological competence were key factors in his selection as a program instructor.
The course runs twice a week for four academic hours and targets young researchers studying historical, cultural, and linguistic dynamics in Asia and Eurasia. Kazakh serves not only as a tool of communication but also as a carrier of cultural code. Plans include expanding the course and incorporating Kazakh into Oxford’s permanent curriculum.
Source: Farabi University